Variability in nutrient composition of the edible long-horned grasshopper () in Uganda and its potential in alleviating food insecurity.

Serville (Orthoptera: Tettigonidae) is a highly nutritious and luxurious insect delicacy that is consumed as a food source in many African countries. However, the nutrient profile of in different geographical regions have received limited research interest. Here, we provide comprehensive evidence of geographical impact on the nutrient profile of and its potential to meet the recommended dietary intake of the population.

Seasonal and elevational changes of plant-pollinator interaction networks in East African mountains.

Across an elevation gradient, several biotic and abiotic factors influence community assemblages of interacting species leading to a shift in species distribution, functioning, and ultimately topologies of species interaction networks. However, empirical studies of climate-driven seasonal and elevational changes in plant-pollinator networks are rare, particularly in tropical ecosystems. Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspots in Kenya, East Africa.

Revision of the endemic African genus (Dinapsini, Megalyridae, Hymenoptera) with description of seven new species.

The endemic Afrotropical genus is revised, and seven new species are described and illustrated: van Noort & Shaw, , van Noort & Shaw, , van Noort & Shaw, , van Noort & Shaw, , van Noort & Shaw, , Shaw & van Noort, , Shaw & van Noort, The distribution of the Central African Republican species Shaw & van Noort, 2009 is extended to include Cameroon, Kenya and Uganda. Waterston, 1922, previously only known from the poorly preserved holotype female, is redescribed based on newly collected specimens. The distribution of this Western Cape species is extended to include the Eastern and Northern Cape provinces of South Africa.

Influence of socio-economic and agronomic factors on aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of maize in western Kenya.

Consumption of maize contaminated with mycotoxins has been associated with detrimental health effects. A farm survey covering 116 push-pull and 139 non-push-pull cropping systems was conducted to determine the socio-economic and agronomic factors that influence farmers' knowledge on incidence and contamination of maize by ear rots and associated mycotoxins in western Kenya. All the respondents were smallholder farmers between the ages of 23 and 80 years, with 50% of them being female.

Consequences of shade management on the taxonomic patterns and functional diversity of termites (Blattodea: Termitidae) in cocoa agroforestry systems.

Termites have gained importance as major pests in cocoa agroforests. Proper identification of termite species and knowledge on their functional diversity are the first steps in developing environmentally compatible management strategies. We tested the hypothesis that patterns of termite species richness in different cocoa agroforests is related to responses by termite functional groups to changes in shade management.

A maize landrace that emits defense volatiles in response to herbivore eggs possesses a strongly inducible terpene synthase gene.

Maize () emits volatile terpenes in response to insect feeding and egg deposition to defend itself against harmful pests. However, maize cultivars differ strongly in their ability to produce the defense signal. To further understand the agroecological role and underlying genetic mechanisms for variation in terpene emission among maize cultivars, we studied the production of an important signaling component ()-caryophyllene in a South American maize landrace Braz1006 possessing stemborer egg inducible defense trait, in comparison with the European maize line Delprim and North American inbred line B73.

Ecological management of cereal stemborers in African smallholder agriculture through behavioural manipulation.

1. Africa faces serious challenges in feeding its rapidly growing human population owing to the poor productivity of maize and sorghum, the most important staple crops for millions of smallholder farmers in the continent, with yields being among the lowest in the world. 2.